Cheek to Cheek
by hotdadnirvana
Summary: She can't always be right. He can't always be wrong. If nothing ventured, nothing earned. A series of short stories between Frey and Bado.
1. Circumstance

**A/N: Picks up from 'A Lack of Understanding'. There wasn't any Frey/Bado fics, so I wrote my own ha ha.  
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><p>Since she kissed him, Frey didn't know what to do.<p>

She kept her distance from the aloof blacksmith and did her best to avoid crossing paths with the man. It was no easy feat, considering the size of the small village and how unpredictable his schedule was. But somehow, she had managed to avoid him for a year.

Even though she had avoided the man out of her own embarrassment, she had continued to replay that climactic scene in her head when her lips brushed against his and the way his arms wrapped around her waist, over and over...

It's silly, but whenever that scene would begin to play in her head, her body had no choice but to follow suit and betray her with flushed cheeks and a heavy beating heart as if it were reenacting the scene for her.

She'd curse herself through clenched teeth and tried to carry on through her day. But she knew she couldn't.

She was in love with the damn fool. He treated her as an equal and spoke to her as such, without formalities and without any regard to her 'royal title'. It frightened her to realize how comfortable and vulnerable she felt around him. As much as she wanted to be around him, she knew she'd be too scared to confront him.

Truthfully, she wasn't scared of being rejected by him, no. She could handle his rejection with a genuine smile and a bruised ego. Her feelings would be intact and within her control once again. And she would feel whole and she would continue to rely on herself for herself...

What made her stomach churn with dread, was the slight possibility that he may even, somehow, reciprocate her feelings. Feelings met with mutual regret and forced awkward touches of affection. Time would eventually drift them apart.

But god, she yearned to be with him.

She knew pain would be inevitable. She knew she'd be immature, naive, and foolish. Her feelings would get hurt and her heart would spill with all the insecurities she had forgotten she carried. But she would recover.

Her only feasible options left were to confront him or to remain silent. It's all just circumstance.

She bit her lips nervously and smiled from ear to ear.

Today would be the day her silence would break.


	2. Genuine

A/N: Thank you for the follows/reviews! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. :)

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><p>"I love you."<p>

Bado let out a heavy sigh as he bagged her purchase.

She kept her stare fixated on him; mesmerized and fearful like a moth to a flame.

Silence.

She leaned forward, uninvited desperation pouring out of every inch of her body as she watched him in anticipation.

Soft lips pursed together as she crossed her arms across her chest, making sure to accentuate them ever so.

He ignored her; lengthening the silence between them and humming a tune as she stood in silenced agony.

She would've preferred for him to laugh at her, to wave her off, anything really. Anything would be better than having to endure the weight of embarrassment that loomed above her.

Her stomach was contorting into knots. Say something. Her breath hitched in her throat much too loudly to her liking as he set the bag down in front of her. You make me look like an idiot.

She stifled a sigh as he pressed his fingers on the keys of the cash register with mild contentment.

Maybe he hadn't heard her. Maybe if she spoke up a little louder…. She felt her mouth begin to open, searching for the right words and then abruptly close as realization sank in.

Maybe, just maybe, he had indirectly rejected her.

She knew that he would and it was apparent that he already had.

Acceptance of this truth, didn't make it hurt any less.

Her vision began to blur as tears threatened to overspill. Not now. She bit her lower lip until she could taste the warmth of her blood seep inside her mouth. Not here.

All at once it seemed as though her feelings of inadequacy and self loathing were laid out bare for him to see.

She flashed a strained smile as nausea brewed inside her. Stop. Stop. Stop!

She balled her hands into fists and slammed them on top of the counter; shaking the flimsy 'fire-repellent' squirt guns on to the ground.

"STOP".

Bado looked up from the register and down at the spluttering girl.

Her face began to heat up as she slowly sank back into place.

He raised his eyebrows quietly and shrugged as he nonchalantly handed her her change.

"You alright?"

Frey grumbled and stuffed her change into her tattered coin purse. "Never been better."

A small grin appeared on his face as he studied her scowl.

"What?"

"Nothing", amusement lacing his voice as he leaned forward, "Hey Frey?"

She crossed her arms and mumbled incoherently.

He flashed her a half smile and paused for a brief moment, searching for the right words before continuing. "I'm glad you decided to drop by and visit me, believe it or not-"

Frey felt herself burn from the neck up to her cheeks as the blacksmith watched her, smiling contently.

Scarlet began to saturate her face when she leaned in closer to the man; a glint of restored hope illuminating through her eyes.

"-Good thing too, cuz I haven't been making any sales this week." The blacksmith chuckled, unaware of the frown on Frey's face.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding", he let out a small laugh as he rested his elbows on the counter, flustering the young woman. "Try not be a stranger, alright?"

Even though she had been so callous and immature, Bado did not chide her. Despite how she had ignored his existence the past year, the blacksmith remained friendly with the young woman; as if nothing ever happened. A part of her felt grateful for his passiveness. Relief, even, to realize that all she had felt for the man was a result of her own deprivation.

He had seen her as a friend: nothing more, nothing less. What happened before was in the past. What she had confessed before was just a slip of the tongue, along with everything she'd done in his presence. It was nothing sincere.

And yet, her heart sank at the thought of him casting her feelings aside as a joke.

"Bado", she sighed.

His ears perked up with interest at the sound of his name, signaling her to continue.

The words began to take form in the back of her throat but then quickly recoiled against the back of her teeth.

"Uh..I err..". Her heart pounded wildly, but she stepped forward and blurted out, "W-would you like to go...s-somewhere with..me?"

Bado shifted his weight as his lips curled into a sly grin, "I'll see you at Dragon Lake, say 10-ish or so. Sound good?"

"Uhm...y-yeah..yes."

"So I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't forget to bring your wallet with you tomorrow", he said with a wink.

She blinked twice, nodding her head slowly as her lips stretched into a smile, " I won't. I'll be there."

The blacksmith hitched himself up to where he stood towering the young woman, and walked around the counter, stopping in front of the now blushing girl.

Bado dug in his pockets and retrieved a small key. "I can trust you to lock up for me, right?" Bado said coolly as he tossed her the key.

"Uh…"

"Thanks! See you kiddo", he chuckled as he ruffled her hair and walked out the door.

Frey leaned against the counter as her heart beat rapidly against her chest, letting a satisfied sigh echo through the room.

It seemed she was genuine after all.


	3. Modern Girls

The sweet scent of liquor lingered in the room with every exhale of the evening crowd. Their chapped lips would tightly press against the rim of the glass bottle, yearning for companionship. They were deprived as they were desperate, as their sophisticated speech turned into a muddled stream of incoherent slurs once the pretty girl across the room denied their advances. And the group of women sitting by the window, leaned in closer, whispering amongst each other as they held their drinks like a rosary against their chest.

Fresh faced, doe eyed, and oh so trusting. Almost like a certain green haired nymphet he knew...

Bado frowned as he stared down at the empty bottles in front of him. If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't be there in the first place.

"Unbelievable", he snorted, impulsively hitting the cap of the liquor bottle against the table. He wiped the fizzing foam away as the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. The stand in princess was a great asset to his bank account, as much as he didn't like to admit it. Hell, who was he trying to fool, the damn kid was starting to grow on him.

A soft voice distracted him from his thoughts. "Are you gonna finish that?"

Bado didn't have to glance up to know who it was. "Speak of the devil", he said with a lopsided grin. "You lock up?"

She nodded her head in response, steadying herself against the edge of the table.

He motioned for her to sit, and she complied, much to his amazement.

Almost immediately, the girl swiped the bottle in front of her and drained it of its contents. Her lips twisted into a grimace as the bitter liquid settled into her throat and dribbled down her chin.

"You might wanna...here" he began as he handed her a napkin, "You got something in your chin there."

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks." She rubbed her hand against her chin, letting the napkin fall to her lap. He looked at her, taking note of her glossed over eyes and the curling of her lip. If she was consumed with nervousness, she didn't show it. She leaned in closer, twirling her mint green hair around her finger with a devilish grin.

"How many more do you think I can chug? Give me a number, I'm feeling risky."

"A lightweight like you?" he laughed, "One's your limit by the looks of it."

Frey rolled her eyes, "Wait a second." She stood from her seat, stumbling a bit as she waltzed straight towards the bar. Moments later she returned with an arm full of assorted liquor bottles.

His eyes widened, "There's no way you can drink all that."

"Is that a challenge I hear?"

"No. No challenge." Bado crossed his arms, surprised by his paternal tone. "If you wanna drink, go ahead no one's stopping you. Just know your limit."

"Suit yourself", she shrugged her shoulders slightly and carefully placed the bottles on the table. "I can finish these myself anyway."

He laughed slightly. "Good luck I guess."

"Have a little faith in me". Her eyes twinkled with mirth as she unscrewed the lid from the jewel toned wine bottle.

Where did this self-assured kid come from? This wasn't the tongue tied and flustered girl from before; stumbling through her words and knocking down item displays in his shop.

She was poised, _mature_ even. This version of Frey exuded an aura of sexual appeal that demanded to be seen. Completely uncharacteristic of the doe eyed girl he knew.

He quickly shifted his gaze at the bottle she cradled and raised his eyebrow. _Oh that's why._

He flashed her a small smile before she reached over and grabbed his arm, startling the blacksmith. Her touch felt clammy and cold. As he looked down to look at her, he noticed her smile falter and then fade from his sight.

"Listen", she took a shaky breath, twirling her finger around the linen table cloth. "What am I to you?"

He smiled wryly, unsure of how to respond. "You're good company."

"Don't give me that."

"You're a friend, does that make you feel better?" He tensed as he saw her body slink towards him.

She laced her fingers with his and kissed his hand. The blacksmith pulled away as the green haired nymphet erupted in a fit of laughter. "Stay a little longer."

She held two fingers up in the air and brought the rim of the glass to her lips.

If it weren't for the alcohol, he would have felt sorry for the girl. But even now looking at her disheveled state, he couldn't help but pity her.

She had expected something more from the blacksmith: affection, love, and adoration. All things he couldn't give her. But he had led her on to believe he could fulfill her needs in order to satisfy his own. Suddenly the weight of her velvet pouch in his pocket felt too heavy to bear.

Bado took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Fine. Five minutes. _That's it_."

Frey's eyes flickered as a smile spread through her lips. "Okay", she whispered, "Okay."

As the blacksmith resigned himself into his seat, he noticed the swarm of bodies within the room dissipate out into the night. All that remained was the company of a babbling girl, unaware of her naivety and the wave of nausea that was to befall her.

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><p><strong>AN: I've been in a funk with this to be honest. I feel like I've just been writing the same thing but through different situations, if that makes sense. If you guys have any ideas or suggestions for the next chapters, I'd love to hear them!** **Thank you once again!**


	4. The Day After

**A/N:** So sorry for th_e __very late_ update. I want to thank you guys so much for your patience and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Thank you!

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><p>Frey was stupid and she knew that.<p>

How many drinks had it been? Two? Three? Eight?

She didn't know and she didn't want to.

She turned her body to the side as she settled into the nest of linen sheets. Immediately regretting this decision as a wave of nausea surged through her. She let out a groan and carefully wrapped herself tighter around the cloth.

That was the last time she'd ever drink out of a shotglass. She didn't like drinking. It made her nauseous, obnoxious, and courageous all at once. Frey often misconstrued this behavior as an effective escape from herself.

_Downed-two-bottles-of-wine-Frey_ could boldly hiccup a proclamation of attraction to the opposite sex with her chest bravely pushed forward and mouth dribbling with saliva.

Sober Frey could barely sputter a word. Right now, she'd give anything to take it all back. She'd settle with her nerves if it meant keeping her mouth shut and her reputation safe. But it was too late now. Her only best course of action was to avoid him, as she often did, and pray that she died before _he _or the nausea confronted her.

She nuzzled her head into her pillow, relishing its cool touch against her warm ruddy cheeks and shut her eyes tightly hoping to land a good hours of sleep before waking.

"-I pray you have an explanation for this! Don't run your mouth with excuses either. I will hear none of it, do you understand? If you so dare as call yourself an honorable man than act as such and fix this_."_

Frey let out an irritable sigh as she rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes.

_So much for a good night's sleep. _

A male voice soon followed, however, much softer and calmer than the last.

"Alright, alright. You've made your point _loud _and clear. And you're right I owe you an explanation and no doubt a solution, but you'll have to come back some other time..."

Her eyes shot wide open in fear. _There's no way._ Panic set in as she waited to hear another sound but there was only silence.

"It's nothing Frey. Go back to sleep," she sighed to herself, pushing her head further into the pillow.

The sound of heavy metal jolted her back into reality.

She gritted her teeth, grinding harder as the pounding in her head grew heavier and the voices grew louder.

"I suppose you're overloaded with work orders, is that correct? You are absolutely full of it! Kiel may tolerate your behavior but do not for a second assume that I will do the same."

"Gotcha, now if you could please…"

Footsteps scraped against the wooden floor, with the crash of metals soon following behind.

"Honestly, I can't believe I expected more from you."

"Well y'know...this shouldn't come as much of a surprise".

"_Tch-"_

"I'll fix it. You have my word. Just give me some time."

"You have until 4. And I swear Bado, if you so much as-"

Frey breathed slowly as realization began to trickle in. _Oh no._

She shot straight out of bed, and in the darkness searched aimlessly around the room, hoping to stumble on anything that would dispute her suspicions.

This was her room. This was her bed. The floor she stood on was the same cold stone she was accustomed to. She's being delusional.

"Everything's okay. I'm in my room. I'm good. I'm-" She pulled her hand from the floor, cursing at the sharp pain in her finger. _A splinter._

Her breathing hitched against her throat, "This isn't my room...this is…"

Her eyes grew wide with panic as she heard a slam and footsteps inching near the door.

A loud click of the door knob caused her to rush towards the bed and seek haven underneath the covers.

If there was a god, she prayed he'd take her out now. She lived a long and good life as far as she knew (and could remember). _Now_, she reasoned, _would be the perfect time_.

"Ah-ha. I thought I heard something coming from in here."

_Anytime god._

Frey could feel her heart drop into her stomach as she peered out of her makeshift shelter.

_I'm dead. I'm already dead. This is just a...just a part of the death process. _

Bado leaned against the door frame, eyebrows raised curiously at her. "Oh good, you're finally up. Didn't think you'd be up for a couple more hours…"

She stared back in stunned silence.

She was most definitely still alive.

Bado let out a breathy laugh as he made his way towards her and sat himself calmly on the edge of the bed. _His bed_. She felt a flush of heat rise to her cheeks at the thought.

His lips curled into a frown as he studied her. She could feel her stomach knot as he focused on her without a word.

_Oh god, _Frey thought as her hands instinctively clawed at her body_. Don't tell me. _She peered up at the blacksmith, her expression hardened with anger as she pried her mind for an answer.

Nothing.

She clenched her jaw tightly as she turned her head away from the dwarf.

"I'm guessing you're not feeling too hot, huh?" Concerned, he pressed his hand against her cheek. Frey roughly jerked away, instantly regretting it as the waves of nausea intensified. "It'd be best if you just hang low for a while." He paused to meet her gaze. "There's some rice porridge out on the counter if you'd-"

She shook her head quickly, refusing to look at him. Suddenly the frightful girl she was around him dissipated and manifested into a shrew. "No. No. No. No." She stood up from the bed slowly and made her way towards the door. "No way am I falling for that. I don't know what you're doing or why I'm even here. Oh god, how did I get here..." Her mind raced back and forth-if there wasn't an answer, the best thing to do was to deny, deny, deny.

Her hand reached for the doorknob as she tried to steady herself. "That doesn't matter. I'm at home. I'm probably already dead. Thank you and farewell."

"Is that right?" Bado nonchalantly plucked away the loose strand of hair on his shoulder. "Try not to stumble on your way out."

"I know...I mean..._you wouldn't? _Nothing happened last night...with you and I-I, right?" She turned to face Bado, her voice wavering at the end.

Bado raised his brows. "What do you think happened? Not an eventful night if you're slumped over, drunk, and blacked out."

She felt her cheeks burn in shame. "I uhh-ha ha, I what? What did you say?" She spluttered out, feeling her heart beat rapidly against her chest._Then what the hell happened. _

"You don't listen much do you?" He smirked. "Huh. You just went a teensy bit overboard. Nothing too major. First time drinker, I'm guessing?"

Frey smiled sheepishly. "Ah, ha ha. N-no, no. I'm afraid not…"

Of course. The events from last night began to play in her mind. Out of some brazen and unexplored desire for approval, she had racked up as much alcohol in her system to simply speak to the man.

She glanced up at the blacksmith and blushed. It all made sense.

The blacksmith coughed, breaking her away from her thoughts. "Seemed like it. Had nowhere else to take you but here, I'm afraid. It was either here or Dr. Jones' clinic."

"Or...my...room," Frey gave him a wary look.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Yeah, tried that. All outside doors locked. Big dragon lives behind said doors. Ring any bells? Between you and me, we both know I can't afford an emergency visit to Jones' clinic. Didn't want to dig through your pockets either." He let out a laugh. "So here you are."

"Ah," she blinked.

"You had me pretty spooked back there kid. You do this everyone you like?"

Frey felt her face grow warm at his words. She opened her mouth to speak but paused as warm liquid began to climb up her throat. Almost instantly she was crouched on the ground spewing her guts out on the wooden floor.

She wiped her hand against her chin, wincing as she swallowed the remnants of vomit that threatened to spill out.

"Augh…" She clutched her stomach, her expression growing sour as she found Bado crouched down beside her with a tissue in hand.

"Whoa, take it easy kiddo. Let's get you cleaned up," he spoke softly as he offered her a small smile.

The short distance between them caused her stomach to swell with butterflies but she quickly rejected those sentiments with a frown. "I can do it myself. _Thank you." _She turned her back to him and rubbed her mouth against her sleeve. Bado watched on with amusement as Frey grimaced at the vomit on her shoulder.

She stopped. The waves of nausea ripped through her again and almost instinctively, she huddled over against the wall and threw up. She felt a pair of hands gently pull her hair back.

She let out a cough and rubbed her mouth against her arm. Suddenly feeling embarrassed, she turned around to face the dwarf, cheeks burning profusely. "Thank you. Sorry for-"

Bado raised his hand in protest, a smile tugging at his lips. Even with her vomit spilled all over his floor, he seemed unfazed by it all. His eyes scanned around the room before they settled on her and he said, "Don't worry about it. Here, hold on a sec."

He walked out then came back right in front of her with a glass of water in hand. "Bottoms up."

She took the drink gladly from his hand and chugged it in one swift motion.

"Better?" He asked.

Frey yawned, feeling the effects of last night's restless slumber catch up with her. "I'm good," she replied slowly.

The blacksmith let out a chuckle as he watched her cautiously make her way out of the room. "Might be best if you hang tight for a bit. Go on and get yourself back to sleep. You'll feel better in a couple of hours."

She paused. "What about the-" She gestured to the floor with a scowl on her face.

Bado rolled his eyes. "Again, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it. Just please get some sleep. The sooner you recover, the faster we'll get you out of here, promise." He joked.

"Thank you", she began, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest. "I uh, I uh uh thank you Bado, again."

"Heard you the first time kid", Bado replied with a grin. "Now go and catch some z's."

And with a soft click of the door, he was gone. She glanced at the door, her lungs swelling like balloons in excitement.

She didn't know if it was the stench of her own vomit or the feelings of infatuation that triggered this euphoria, but whatever it was, she'd happily wallow in both if it meant speaking to him again.


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